Cheerleading Info Center

Core Exercises for Cheerleaders That Will Improve Your Cheerleading Skills

Here is another great exercise for cheerleaders that will strengthen your core - PLANKS!

This basic plank position is the perfect position to start with.  It is a great exercise to squeeze in 3 sets in the morning, while you are watching TV or just before you go to bed.  Here are some tips to remember:

• 1 set is 8 counts
• Make sure you have your body in a straight line.
• To start, keep your knees on the ground and then work up to straight leg planks.

For more exercises to help with ALL of your cheerleading skills, click on CHEERLEADING EXERCISES on the Cheerleading Coaching Center. :-)

 

FREE Team Building Workbook - How to Coach Cheerleading

Would you LOVE some FUN and EASY ideas to build confidence in your team?   How about some ideas to make your practice more fun while you are building a stronger team?  Check out our FREE Team Building Workbook and get started today and CLICK HERE! :-)

5 Easy Tips to Help Clean Your Cheerleading Routine from the Cheerleading Coaching Center

Are you looking for some EASY tips to clean your cheerleading routines? Check out these simple ideas from the Cheerleading Coaching Center to get your routine looking its best:

1. Video tape your practices and then send it to all of your cheerleaders via the Group Me app, email or text. This way each of your athletes can see what they do and can put your suggestions into action.
2. Have your cheerleaders practice their routine at home in a mirror so they can see their individual performance.
3. During your team practice, have your team practice their motions in a line – one in back of the other, not side to side. This will help to make sure all of the motions are at the same levels as they should be the same as the person in front of you. Tip: If you are standing in front of the line, you should only see 1 person.
4. Practice the way you want to perform – full out! If you practice full out ( most of the time ), you will have no problem performing it full out.
5. Also, SMILE and do your facials when you practice, this way you will automatically smile during your performance and it makes practice more fun! 

For a BONUS TIP, check our the Cheerleading Coaching Center HERE!

Double Thigh Stands - the Beginning Cheerleading Stunt Every Team Should Be Using Now!

 

The Double Thigh Stand is one of the most important beginner stunts you should know. From this stunt, you can do a variety of variations to create numerous stunts.

Tips:

• Make sure your Bases have deep lunges for the Flyer to stand on.
• Make sure the Flyer steps in the “pockets” of the Bases, not on their legs.
• The Flyer should start with her right foot first and climb using the “Step, Lock, Tighten” Method.
• Have the base hold the flyer’s legs by wrapping their arms around the flyers knees.
• The back spotter should hold the flyer’s waist.
• When you are learning the double thigh stand, you should add a front spotter. ( You can never have enough spotters!)
• To dismount, have the bases hold the flyer’s hands and their armpit.
• The flyer lands in front of the stunt with her feet together.

Here is an example of how to incorporate this stunt into your stunt formation: Save

For more Beginning Cheerleading Stunts:

Check out the Cheerleading Coaching Center HERE!

 

The Perfect Beginning Cheerleading Stunt - The Pony Mount - How to Coach Cheerleading

Do you have a group of beginning cheerleaders and would love an easy, safe stunt that you can use in all of your formations? The Pony Mount is the perfect stunt to start with! Here are some things to keep in mind:

• The Pony Sit or Pony Mount is very simple and is one of the first stunts that your team should learn.
• Make sure your base has their arms locked at all times and head up.
• The Flyer should sit on the lower part of the base’s back; if you sit to high, you could hurt your base.
• The Spotter should hold the Flyer at her waist at all times.
• The Spotter should help the Flyer get up and dismount.
• The call to get up is “1 -2 Down Up ” The Flyer bends her knees on the down and jumps up on the base’s back on the up.
• Finish the stunt with the flyer’s hands in a high V and her knees bent up.
• To dismount, the flyer puts her hands on the base’s back and pushes herself off; the spotter also helps pull her off.
• One note to keep in mind, the base should never move. The flyer hops on, finishes the stunt and pushes off without the base moving at all.

For more stunting tips and beginning stunts you can use TODAY,

check out our FULL PONY MOUNT VIDEO

on CheerleadingCoachingCenter.com HERE!

Have a fabulous day! :-)

Cheerleading Jump Mistakes and Solutions - How to Improve your Cheerleading Jumps

If you want to master your cheerleading jumps, here are 4 common mistakes and solutions to get you started

1. Practicing with bad habits: Remember, if you want perfect jumps, practice is not enough.  When you practice you MUST use proper skill and technique to create awesome jumps!

2. Starting with your feet apart: When you start with your feet together, you will get the most power and lift off the floor;  also having your feet together looks clean when you perform jumps as a team.

3. Using a double prep: Tendencies to “double-bounce” or add an extra bend of the knees before taking the big dip is a big disadvantage to your success.  When you do this, you are cutting off momentum, wasting energy, and your timing will be off with the rest of your team.

For more cheerleading jump tips, CLICK HERE for our latest post on the Cheerleading Coaching Center.

Enjoy :-)

How to be a Great Cheerleading Coach EASILY! Let Our Experts Help You TODAY :-)

Are you a new cheerleading coach and would LOVE some help with your Entire Season? Or are you an experienced cheerleading coach and need some new ideas?    We have you covered! 

The Cheerleading Coaching Center has ALL of your Curriculum, Music, Forms, Awards, Motivation, Discipline Tools, Gifts and MORE for your ENTIRE Season in 1 place!  Join the Cheerleading Coaching Center TODAY and let their Expert Coaches help you create an Amazing, FUN and Successful season for You and your Cheerleaders! CheerleadingCoachingCenter.com

How to Improve Your Cheerleading Jumps Today with these Top Practice Tips from Expert Cheer Coaching Coaches

Would you love to improve your cheerleading jumps? All it takes is practice, practice and more practice! So here are some things to remember when you are practicing:

1. The way you practice is the way you will perform! If you practice “half way” then when you perform your jumps, they will not be their best.
2. Practice in front of a mirror: This way you can see what your jumps look like.
3. Practice smiling: By doing your facials (facial expressions) in front of a mirror you will automatically smile during your jump execution.
4. Practice on the ground: There are several jumps that you can practice while sitting on the ground including the Tuck Jump and the Toe Touch. This technique will allow you to feel what it should be like in the air.
5. Practice on various surfaces: When you practice on a variety of floors including spring floors, grass and on mats, you be able to perform anywhere and you will build strength in your legs ( jumping on a spring / competition floor is much easier than jumping on grass ).

If you would love some EXPERT help to improve your confidence, fitness and cheerleading skills at HOME,  check out all of our amazing, FUN and EASY to Learn Programs - CLICK HERE

 

Cheerleading Fitness - Cheerleading Conditioning to Improve Your Upper Body to Improve Your Cheerleading Stunts

Upper body exercises are a great way to improve your cheerleading stunts.  The Clean and Press is a great exercise to start with for your biceps and your shoulders!  Here are all of the details:

• Start with light weights ( 2 lbs or 3 lbs ) and work up to heavier weights like 5 lb or 8 lb hand weights.
• Begin with 8 reps and work up to 2 to 3 sets of 8 reps.
• 1.  The exercise starts with your arms in a "low touchdown" with your palms facing forward.
• 2.  The next motion is a bicep curl with the weights in front of your shoulders.
• 3.  Press the weights over your head to a "high touchdown" while turning your palms forward.
• 4.  To finish 1 rep, bring your arms back down where the weights are in front of your shoulders.

Remember, this exercise is a perfect one while your watch TV as you can do it standing or sitting on the couch. 

Enjoy!

 

Beginning Cheerleading Stunts - Where Should You Get Started and How Do Your Progress Your Stunting Skills

One question that we get A LOT has to do with beginning stunts and where to begin with stunting; here is a question from Coach Lisa from Cleveland Ohio:

"... I am a Pee Wee Coach and I need some stunts that my girls can do and do SAFELY. What stunts should I begin with and when should I progress with them?"

Thank you Coach Lisa for your question as we have TONS of tips to help you have a safe and amazing season with your team; check out our tips below:

1. We suggest that you start with the perfect beginning stunt, the Pony Mount, as it is super simple and a great way to master the 3 parts of a stunt ( base, flyer, and spotter ). For all of the details on How to Do a Pony Mount, CLICK HERE.
2. The next stunt you should teach your team is the Double Thigh Stand. This stunt is SO VERSITILE that you can use it for all of your routines and just add the variations and it looks GREAT! Also, this stunt is great to teach your flyers how to climb as well as teaching your bases to hold your flyer and learn dismounts. For all of the details on How to do a Double Thigh Stand, CLICK HERE.
3. Beginning Stunt Progression: The best way to decide when to progress to the next stunt is to MASTER your current level stunt and then move on. For example, when you MASTER your basic Double Thigh Stand, then you can start Double Thigh Stand variations like the L Stand, Liberty Stand and more.
4. Here is an example of a Beginning Stunt Progression, CLICK HERE for full details:

• • Pony Mounts
  • Curtsy Sit
  • Knee Sit
  • L Sit
  • Hanging Stag
  • Hand Stand Liberty
  • Double Thigh Stands
  • Double Thigh Stand Variations:
    • L Stand
    • Thigh Stand Hitch
    • Thigh Stand L
    • Thigh Stand Lean Over
    • Thigh Stand Liberty

So how do you know you have mastered your stunt?

1. When your flyer is tight and does not wobble while in the stunt. Also she lands with both feet together and is clean all the way through the stunt.
2. Your bases should be REALLY STEADY and not wobble. They should be comfortable with the flyer climbing on them and feel comfortable with the dismount.
3. When ALL of the members of your stunt group what to try something new and are comfortable with their positions.

The most important tip to remember about stunting is to not compare your team to any other team. Just focus on where your team is and continue to make progress. With proper technique, patience and A LOT of practice, you will master your stunts and do it safely!

For TONS of tips, exercises and stretches to master stunting,

JOIN the Cheerleading Coaching Center TODAY!

Happy Stunting :-)

How to Coach Cheerleading: How to Get Your Team to Take Practice Seriously and Make your Cheerleading Practice More Productive

Here is a question that we receive A LOT from cheerleading coaches: 

Q:  Help!  I am a new coach and I need some help in motivating my cheerleaders during practice and to get them to take it seriously. 

A:  This is a concern for EVERY Coach as you are not alone if you find yourself looking at your team half way through practice and asking them to pay attention, stop talking or to get back in formation – lol!  Here are some ideas to help get your girls motivated and interested in your practice:

1. Set Season and Daily Goals for your season and have your team set them with you. At the beginning of practice, remind your team of the season goals that THEY set and then set goals for that practice to help them stay focused on your outcome.  Athletes generally perform better if they know what they are working toward.
2. Give REWARDS!!!! At the beginning of practice, give your team a reward if they accomplish __________________ during your practice.  Here are reward examples:

• Everyone will receive a piece of candy if you get through your new chant with stunts.
• Your next practice will have a fun theme.
• Play a game or do a fun team building activity.
• Give out a “Spirit Stick” or team Mascot Stuffed Animal to take home to the most outstanding cheerleader that day.

For more tips, check out the rest of this article on CheerleadingCoachingCenter.com